the shizzle > diet, training and injuries

Split tips - What's the science?

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Hoseyb:
What causes split tips?
Is it merely a shearing force applied through a point of pressure?
Does  a drop intension through the tip have a part to play?
Am I simply made of cake?

What's the science to avoiding bloodshed, other than avoiding the sharpeners?
No neo-sculpture obvs.

Dingdong:
For me splits are a combination of the skin being too thin to handle the tearing force of crimping hard where the first half of my pad is applying force and the other half is lifting away from a hold. This can happen when pulling on the same hold continuously which weakens the same section of skin or if you drill a crystal in the same place which creates a weak point.

Usually splits are more common for people with dry hands and skin so the first port of call is to moisturise regularly, every night, with cotton gloves. It keeps your skin more supple, helps with growth and makes it less likely to split in the first place.

The other thing I do is use chalk without any drying agents. I definitely find I’m more prone to splitting using certain chalks. On top of this applying some sort of moisture spray such as rhino spit before applying chalk helps to soften my skin, also helping with glassy tips.

Skin farming is also a think via sanding by making it even and flat so there’s no weird angles to your skin.

Finally knowing when to end a session is paramount or just doing things quickly helps.

Fultonius:
Having always had relatively moist tips, and only the rare occasion of glassy skin (Dumby when it's cold). Why do "dry skin" types use chalk?

Hoseyb:
I think the shear factor of different people's skin may be different ( often heard the comment " I've got rubbish skin").
I also think there may be environmental factors that effect it.

I've been setting a fair bit, an prior to that I'd started back bouldering a lot. It may be while the pad ( good old plastic slopers) was quite thin, the tip was thick.
Maybe this differential increased the probability? Like two tectonic plates?

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